Railroad Trivia

The first American-made steam locomotive to enter regularly scheduled passenger service was The Best Friend of Charleston. Constructed by the West Point Foundry in New York, this train began service for the South Carolina Canal & Railway Company on December 25, 1830. After six months of successfully transporting passengers and freight between Charleston and Hamburg, the locomotive exploded in 1831, when the fireman closed the boiler's safety value because of the noise.